RAY MAGLIOZZI

Dear Car Talk: My ownership of cars has ranged from the Dark Ages (’66 Triumph Spitfire) to the space age (’20 Chevy Bolt, ’22 Subaru Outback). Those later vehicles suit all the needs of my wife and myself as we enjoy our retirement years. But one thing I find myself not enjoying is the movement toward touch screens.

Back in the Dark Ages, if you wanted to turn on the radio, you pushed a button. Change stations? Same thing. What about heat (except in the Triumph)? Slide a lever across the slot located in the dash. You could do all of this without looking down.

Fast forward to now, and I find myself having to take my eyes off the road to 1. Find the screen that controls whatever I controlled, 2. Aim the tip of my finger at the exact spot where the option is, and then 3. Watch to make sure I hit the right spot and the thing registers my input.

It often takes more than one prolonged glance at the screen to locate the climate control section and change the temperature. After about three winks into the process, the car beeps at me and flashes a sign that reads “Keep your eyes on the road.” If I want to be told I’m driving poorly, my wife’s right there in the passenger seat!

It seems to me that having to repeatedly focus on the computer screen creates a dangerous driving condition.

What tips might you offer to ensure adjustments can be made while paying full attention to the activity on the road? Second, is there any chance automakers might transition back to switches, knobs and slide bars? — Dave

First of all, I agree, Dave. It is dangerous. Some manufacturers tout “voice control” as an option. But anyone who’s lost a fight with Siri knows it never seems quite ready for prime time. Other than that, there’s not much you can do to mitigate this trend except wait for the car makers to get over their infatuation with putting everything on a screen.

Now, will we ever go back to all knobs and sliders? No. The computer screen allows us unprecedented customization. You want orange decorative lighting in the cabin instead of purple? That’s never going to be controlled by a knob. It would be used too infrequently and would take up valuable cabin real estate. But I do think the smarter car makers will go back to more hard knobs and switches for commonly used features.

I would count those as things like volume, tuning, mute controls, temperature and basic climate controls, and several hard navigation buttons for key areas under screen control (Home, Map, Entertainment, etc.). You want stuff that you use multiple times per trip to be available at your fingertips, to use by feel, without having to use the screen. And I predict that the pendulum will swing back this way, for two reasons.

First, people are revolting. I know I’m revolting. My wife tells me that. Second, I think the movement back will start with luxury cars. Because you know what’s not luxurious? Poking your fingers on a cheap screen. And you know what is luxurious? A well-made knob that feels great in your fingers and turns with precision. And what starts in luxury cars generally finds its way into all cars eventually. So hopefully your next car will be better, Dave.

Got a question about cars? Write to Ray in care of King Features, 300 W. 57th St., 41st Floor, New York, NY 10019, or email by visiting the Car Talk website at www.cartalk.com.